Tomatoes are emblematic of two things: Italian food and summer. Sorbillo, which comes from renowned Napolitan Pizzaioli Gino and Toto Sorbillo who also operate eight restaurants in Italy, is ready to stuff you silly with pizza, pasta, and antipasti.
Photo by Liz Clayman
Sorbillo is known for offering Gino Sorbillo’s signature Neapolitan pizzas, but now the restaurant is expanding the menu to include more than just pies. Guests can choose from a variety of new pastas such a homemade Black Squid Ink Tagliolini with sautéed shrimp, clams, calamari, cherry tomatoes, and white wine; Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Guanciale and egg yolk; and Parmigiana Di Melanzane with eggplant, mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Other additions include pan-seared Salmon in herb butter served with mashed potatoes and sautéed baby spinach, Rib-eye al Profumo di Rosmarino over a bed of grilled vegetables, and Saltimbocca alla Romana—chicken rolled with prosciutto and served with smoked mozzarella and a creamy mushroom sauce.
Photo by Liz Clayman
Obviously you’ll still be ordering a few signature pizzas. The dough is handmade with Caputo type 0 organic flour then fermented using natural yeast so it is flavorful and easy to digest. Almost all of the pies feature San Marzano tomatoes, but we also love the Margherita Gialla with yellow cherry tomatoes or the Portofino with pesto, Mozzarella Bufala, and Datterino tomatoes. Sorbillo’s pizza is some of the most authentic and delicious in the city, make sure you try it for yourself this summer!
Photo by Liz Claman
Photo by Liz Claman
Sorbillo 334 Bowery Sunday–Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM Friday–Saturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Your Weekly Indulgence highlights the most luxurious dishes New York has to offer. Use the hashtag #ywidowntown and tag us @downtownmagnyc on Instagram to let us know how you’re indulging!
Since 2017, Fine & Rare has been a destination for fine food, rare spirits, and rhythmic jazz. The contemporary menu is paired with the sophistication of old New York, including touches like rescued teller windows from Grand Central Station and a rolling library ladder that helps bartenders access some of the hundreds of bottles lining the walls. Fine & Rare also features daily live jazz performances and a bottle keep program that allows patrons to keep special bottles in private lockers for their consumption only.
Such an exquisite environment needs dishes to match, and Chef Philip Sireci has done it with his new lunchtime scorpion fish and chips. The scorpion fish is both delicious and rare. When caught live, scorpion fish are often thrown back to avoid coming in to contact with their spines as the venom within them is toxic enough to cause serious problems if medical treatment is not sought. When dead, the spines can be carefully removed with kitchen shears. The flesh cooks white, is firm, and has a mild and somewhat sweet flavor similar to lobster meat.
The scorpion fish and chips are served with mashed peas, scorpion chili dusted fries, and sweet & spicy scorpion chili aioli. After being carefully cleaned, the fish is dipped in a beer batter infused with more scorpion chili pepper then deep fried. The fries are made with hand cut Idaho potatoes and double fried for the perfect combination of creamy center and crisp skin. The mashed peas are a nod to a traditional side in England and help to mellow the head from the scorpion chili while bringing out the sweetness. This dish is a perfect example of Fine & Rare’s goal to create a theatrical experience for their guests while educating them about exciting and rare food and spirits. This is truly an indulgent dish you can’t get anywhere else!
It’s time to switch your heavy duty, winter bag stuffed with emergency cold medicine and long forgotten cough drops to your lightweight, summer bag filled with everything you need for spontaneous sunbathing in the park or a last minute hike. We’ve got your covered with everything from the bag to snacks and sunscreen that will have you prepared all summer long.
These bags are perfectly made for summer: they are eco-friendly, quick drying, and come in a variety of patterns perfect for everyone. Seabags are made in the heart of Portland, Maine’s waterfront with materials sourced in the US, mostly even from New England. Sails are locally sourced then thoroughly cleaned before being handmade into functional, stylish totes, duffels, and even wine bags. While we love this Mariner Stripe Handbag for daily use, the Ogunquit Beach Tote is ready for any weekend getaway. The easy to clean bag has a zippered interior pocket for valuables, an exterior pocket for wet items, three interior pockets for easy organization, and grommets in the base to let any errant grains of sand escape without turning your whole bag upside down. Once you start using a Seabag you’ll fall in love and want to fill your life with their pillows, jewelry, and more.
Everyone knows how important sunscreen is, so having some handy is absolutely essential. We love TropicSport for a few reasons: it’s chemical free (aka safe for the ocean), water resistant, full of vitamins and essential oils, and comes in a variety of handy sizes perfect for your purse. We always have the coconut lip balm, face stick, and 3-ounce keychain in our bag, all travel friendly sizes you can transfer from bag to bag all year long. This bundle is another great place to start as it comes with the lip balm, face stick, and sunscreen along with vanilla coconut facial moisturizer and coconut aloe face cleanser.
Yes, we always wear sunscreen, but sometimes we make a mistake and end up burnt. Enter cult brand OUAI’s first non-hair product. The limited-edition After Sun Body Soother is a foam that super-cools and sounds like pop-rocks upon contact, soothing and hydrating your skin after time in the sun. You’ll actually be able to feel the aloe-infused bubbles, rose hip oil, and cucumber extract instantly working your magic to soothe and hydrate your dry, sun exposed skin.
Just like sunscreen, hydration is KEY. If you find water a bit boring, this water bottle is perfect for you. The 20-ounce bottle has a strainer at its center that you can fill with your favorite fruits, veggies, and herbs (we love strawberry basil, cucumber melon, or watermelon mint). The bottles are also perfect for brewing hot or iced tea on the go as they are safe for temperatures ranging from -4 to 212˚F. The bottles are made from a BPA-free, clear as glass material, come in a variety of colors, and have even won international design awards. The silicone coating will also ensure that everything else in your bag stays free from condensation.
There are so many bars on the market, and it’s impossible to know if they’ll taste good before you buy. We are vouching for these energy bars from Kate’s Real Food as they are the tastiest energy snack we’ve ever tried. The hand rolled bars were created by Kate Schade as fuel for her backcountry skiing adventures in Jackson Hole in the late ’90s and came to market in 2010. The bars are all organic, gluten free, non-GMO, and kosher. Each bar has a recommenced two servings (though we haven’t been able to resist finishing one in a single go) and the packaging easily twists up so you can save the rest for later. Stash one of your favorite flavor (if you can pick just one) in your bag for an on-the-go pick-me-up at all times.
Nothing is worse than uncomfortable chafing caused by skin-to-skin contact in your summer skirts, shorts, and dresses. Body Glide for Her is the perfect way to avoid chafing and skip the downtime caused by discomfort. The balm rolls on the skin and provides a barrier to stop chafing before it begins. The unique formula is all-natural and enriched with vitamin F to moisturize sensitive skin. It’s made from plant-derived wax so it doesn’t harm clothes and is water and perspiration resistant. Keep one stick next to your deodorant to apply to your thighs and bra line when you get dressed and another in your bag in case you need more throughout the day. You won’t believe you ever went without it!
Lightroom, one of Adobe’s signature photo editing tools, might seem intimidating if you aren’t a photography professional, but new interactive tutorials are here to teach you how to make any photo look stunning. What makes these tutorials unique is that instead of watching the editing happen on a second screen, viewers are inside the application seeing sliders move and buttons pressed in real time as the expert edits the photo. Each step comes with written instructions and explanations for why each edit was chosen. Amazing photographers, including New York based food photographer Andrew Scrivani, have created tutorials to help amateurs learn to be Instagram all-stars.
The best part? All of this is free! Lightroom offers apps for Android and iOS at no charge. Users can upgrade to the paid version for additional features including cloud storage.
Photo by Andrew Scrivani
A recent workshop paired photographer Andrew Scrivani and chef Jehangir Mehta together to teach food writers about Lightroom, food styling, and how to reduce waste while still ending up with the perfect photo. Scrivani’s best tip for improving food photography in Lightroom? “For food shots, it is terrific to learn how to use the basic sliders for exposure, color and contrast. Just those beginning tools will show you great results and help you build confidence to dive deeper into the tools to enhance your shots even more.” You can learn from Scrivani in his tutorials on the Lightroom app.
Photo by Andrew Scrivani
Mehta prepared dishes that used parts of ingredients that would commonly be wasted. At his restaurant, Graffiti Earth, Mehta and his team do things like make mousse and ice cream out of food scraps like plant stems or used coffee grinds. One of his dishes for the workshop included a mousse made from fish heads, and the second used broken scallops, which are damaged scallops that would normally be tossed back by fishermen. Mehta encourages chefs and home cooks to make soup often because it’s a great way to use up ingredients.
Photo by Andrew Scrivani
One more piece of advice from Scrivani – how can you take good photos in a poorly lit restaurant? “Go to a better lit restaurant.” More info about new features from Lightroom can be found here.
Are you counting down the days until the final episode of Game of Thrones? All of NYC is right there with you, especially these three spots offering GoT specials to help you cope.
The luxurious Mercer Street spa is offering treatments for anyone looking to decompress from the stress of remembering what happened eight seasons ago on GoT. The Mother of Dragons Pedicure includes Dragon Fruit enriched scrubs and lotions for super soft and hydrated feet. The Dragon Glass Manicure features shiny chrome gel polish that looks just like dragon glass. The White Walker Body Scrub is a CBD scrub that helps you get rid of your dry, winter skin. The Fire & Ice Facial uses medical-grade masques and anti-inflammatory botanicals to leave you with skin like Khaleesi. The Geek Massage is a combination of therapeutic stretching and deep tissue work focusing on the upper body to relieve the tension caused by dragon riding (or television bingeing). Combination packages are also available. GoT inspired services, like the show, will only be around for a limited time so be sure to book yours today!
Laurence Edelman of PST along with Chris Stark and Matt Miluk of Hill Country came up with GoT inspired menu items, available for pick-up and delivery exclusively at Poulet Sans Tête from 5-10pm every night of the week. Fans can order via Caviar, Seamless + PST’s website along with pick-up at Left Bank (117 Perry Street). The Gold Crown Chicken Chili features PST’s signature rotisserie chicken in Hill Country’s white sauce, Lord of Light Chicken pairs PST’s chicken with Hill Country’s special spiced chicken rub, and Fire & Ice Pickles add a sweet and spicy bite to your meal from sister restaurant Hill Country Chicken. Pair your dishes with White Walker BBQ Sauces for the ultimate feast.
No viewing party is complete without dessert! The limited edition Dragon Fruit Lemon cake is topped with Ice Blueberry buttercream frosting and Black Cherry Candy Dragon Glass and features a custom Game of Thrones decoration and sword. Bakeries will also offer dozen boxes with tons of GoT logos, including custom Targaryen, Lannister, and Stark decorations.
Your Weekly Indulgence highlights the most luxurious dishes New York has to offer. Use the hashtag #ywidowntown and tag us @downtownmagnyc on Instagram to let us know how you’re indulging!
If you haven’t checked out Reynard, the New American restaurant in Williamsburg’s Wythe Hotel, you’re missing out on delicious food in a can’t beat location. The menu ranges from house made bone broth and pastries to lunch sandwiches and salads and grilled or roasted proteins for dinner.
This summer the dessert menu includes a rhubarb pavlova with elderflower, whipped white chocolate, and pistachio. If you’ve never had the meringue based dessert named after ballerina Anna Pavlova this is the perfect one to try as you sip on dessert wine and enjoy a summer evening.
Reynard 80 Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg
Breakfast: Monday–Friday: 7:00–11:00 AM Saturday–Sunday: 7:00–10:00 AM
Lunch: Monday–Friday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Brunch: Saturday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Dinner: Sunday–Thursday: 6:00–11:00 PM Friday–Saturday: 6:00 PM – 12:00 AM
